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ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Second-seeded St. John Fisher used 13-1 scoring run over the final 3:51 of the game Saturday to erase a three-point deficit as the Cardinals went on to take a 72-64 men's basketball victory over the Golden Flyers in the championship game of the Empire 8 Conference Tournament.

Fisher improved to 19-8 overall and gained an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament after rallying past the Golden Flyers on Mike Daley Court at the Kidera Gymnasium. Top-seeded Nazareth finished the season at 21-6.

Fisher's Dennis Hare scored a game-high 22 points to earn championship game MVP honors for the Cardinals, who claimed their ninth Empire 8 Conference title. Nazareth's Isaac Nelson tossed in a career-high 20 points for the Golden Flyers, who also got 12 points and 10 rebounds from Zach Stenglein and 10 points from Stephen Gabel.

Fisher's late rally capped a dramatic comeback that started with the Cardinals trailing by as many as 20 points with as little as 5:48 left in the first half. Fisher fought back and closed to within seven points, 40-33, by halftime. Fisher continued its surge into the second half by outscoring the Golden Flyers 23-9 over the first 10 minutes to go up 57-49. 

Nazareth clawed back by scoring 12 straight points to take a 61-57 lead with less than five minutes to play. Nelson had two field goals during the surge and Stenglein hit a three-pointer and nailed two free throws. Nazareth, though, managed to score just three points the rest of the way.

Dylan Harrington and Matt Asenjo hit back-to-back three-pointers that enabled Fisher to take back the lead for good. Hare also scored and Asenjo sank a pair of free throws to keep the Cardinals on top.

Nazareth shot the ball well early in the game to surge to a double digit lead. Cody Green hit a pair of three-pointers as did freshman Logan Blankenberg. The Golden Flyers sank nine three-pointers in total in the first half, but just two in the second.